A personal little pet peeve....

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stevekolt

stevekolt

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Ok, I admit it, I'm a lefty as is 18% of the population. Why is it SO difficult for many manufacturers, and indeed, custom scale makers to tap and drill the knife or scales for lefty carry? I'm not even talking about a dedicated lefty knife, but just being able to carry it lefty. I can manipulate the lock whether a lefty or righty lock. I'm just talking about drilling and tapping a couple holes in general. Why is this so difficult?!?!

Rant over :o :confused: :)
 
Civil PE said:
Because 72% of the population does not want or need the extra holes :cool:
Click to expand...

...and what about the remaining 10%?

I guess the lefties have to push harder. They finally got the manufacturers to produce left-handed bolt-action rifles, but it took a while. I guess total sales drive production.
...and RamZar is correct. According to Wiki, approx 10% are lefties.
 
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I'm sure it sucks being a lefty sometimes. This can't be the only time in your life that you were forced to adjust. You do so many times in everyday life. Do you just accept it or is it something you are constantly upset about and complain to people?
 
Most pimpers can handle drilling and tapping if you cant. Personally I dont want the holes on my knives
 
I'm sort of ambidextrous (I do some stuff better with my right hand, some with my left, and for other things it's the same) and I love tools that can be used with equal ease with either hand. However, I'm used to having to adapt my left hand to things meant to be used the the right hand. I'd bet most lefties are also used to making due with tools designed for right handed users. This probably reduces demand for fully ambidextrous knives a bit, and makers will cut down costs whenever possible.

Personally, I sometimes don't buy the lefty version of some items (like bolt action rifles) if I think I might sell it at some point, since finding a buyer can be tricky.
 
" They finally got the manufacturers to produce left-handed bolt-action rifles, but it took a while." How many AR or semiauto platforms are reversed for lefties? NONE that I can think of. Why? beacuse #1. Lefties are a small minority.

and #2.

They can still DEAL WITH and appreciate the original product. jmho.
 
I don't know what knife brand you're buying but I've never bought a knife that wasn't reversible. Now, liner locks suck for lefties but the clip itself is reversible on most knives I come across.

Ambidextrous knives is a slippery slope to lefty marriage... :)
 
It is annoying, when I looked around for a new knife to use for my EDC, that was a main consideration. I picked up the Rat 1, which met all my criteria, including left hand carry, the linerlock is no problem to use left handed. I carried it every day for a year and loved it, my Leatherman I bought to replace it did not last long for the reason of being impossible to open left handed.

Now I carry a lock back wharncliffe that requires two hands, about half the time, doesn't bother me, but if it has a clip and stud, it better be a left hander.
 
I've accepted the fact that many manufacturers are unlikely to make much effort to make knives more usable for lefties. This leaves many companies (e.g. Kershaw, Gerber, etc.) out of my list of knives that I own.

On the other hand, companies that make (or made) dedicated left handed knives like Spyderco, Chris Reeve, and Lionsteel get much more interest from me.
 
Cynic2701 said:
On the other hand, companies that make (or made) dedicated left handed knives like Spyderco, Chris Reeve, and Lionsteel get much more interest from me.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised more manufacturers have not adopted LionSteel's clip placement which doesn't even require drilling holes on the sides and just one at the bottom where it can easily be switched around (the screw that holds the clip is also a tungsten carbide glass breaker). Their new TM-1 IKBS lockback is truly ambidextrous.

tm1_carbon_fiber.jpg
 
Stays Sharp said:
I'm sure it sucks being a lefty sometimes. This can't be the only time in your life that you were forced to adjust. You do so many times in everyday life. Do you just accept it or is it something you are constantly upset about and complain to people?
Click to expand...

I'm fine with being a lefty, and find your response to be pretty rude. I was just stating that many companies make lefty compatible knives, (CRK, Spyderco, ZT, etc.) and the right handed buyers don't seem to mind that they are lefty adaptable. The Lionsteel approach in the post above is a great example, and the new ZT 0562 seems to address the issue in a similar fashion.
 
My wife is primarily a lefty, so I see the struggles she has sometimes. Over the years she has become almost totally ambidextrous. Between Dental Assisting, and now being an RN, she's adjusted. But still, I see it once in a while. To the OP: do you find that companies like Spyderco, CRK, I think Benchmade too, do a good job with lefty knives? Do you like the Axis lock of Benchmade? That lock and the Spyderco lock that is similar seem very lefty friendly. But, I know I'm only ass-u-ming they are, as I don't really know. Interested in your thoughts on what most companies call a left handed knife??
 
Vegas, thanks for the reply. Yes, the axis lock is VERY lefty friendly as is the similar Spyderco lock. That said, my most commonly carried knife is a Spyderco PM2. The compression lock works well, but is not as easy to operate as the aforementioned. CRK makes dedicated lefty models, and I have a custom by Alan Davis that is a dedicated lefty flipper. As I said in the OP, just a little question why more makers don't make their knives adaptable for left handed carry. I have no problem finding knives to buy, but if they are not able to be carried lefty tip-up, I have no interest. BTW, I am an RN also, and play guitar, bass, mandolin, and drums righty. Keyboard is not specifically left or right handed :D
 
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